Binh Thuan received around 123,600 tourists during the just concluded holiday, according to the province's Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The figure is 14 per cent up year-on-year, it said.

Most resorts and hotels in Binh Thuan prepared special entertainment programmes for guests, including vehicle racing on the sand dunes, shopping at Phan Thiet Market, city tour of Phan Thiet, visiting the Doi Duong sea park, enjoying traditional music of Cham people at Po Sah Inu Tower, seafood buffets and folk games.

As this year's national holiday extended over five days, a lot of students or company staff members chose to stay at Tien Thanh-Ham Thuan Nam which is 28 km southwest of Phan Thiet City; and La Gi Town which is 64 km from the city, the department said.

It said that although room occupancy was nearly at 100 per cent, the prices for accommodation and other services only increased by10 per cent compared to normal days.

According to the Binh Thuan Tourism Association, apart from some luxury resorts in Ham Tien-Mui Ne, other community tourist sites like Hon Rom, Tien Thanh-Ham Thuan Nam and La Gi were also fully booked for this week.

In April, the province welcomed 301,084 travellers, a year-on-year increase of 12.9 per cent, of them 31,300 foreign visitors. —VNS